digigraphie Archives - The Artists Print Room (Giclée Printing)

Ordering your fine art giclée prints

When it comes to ordering your fine art giclée prints, it can be a confusing process, with so many options to be aware of. Here at The Artists Print Room, we have tried our best to ensure our online ordering system is straight forward and easy to use.

Firstly, head over to our online shop. You’ll find this option at the top of our website. The blue box saying ‘Order Here!’ will take you directly through to our online ordering system.

By heading through to our online shop, you will see the following four options:

From here, to order giclée prints, head over to the printing option. Here you will see a number of different options, including deckled edge prints, poster printing, greetings cards and print proofs. If you’re not sure how your final print will look or your just starting out in the world of producing your artwork or photography as giclée prints, it might be worth considering print proofs in the first instance.

Print Proofs

Our print proofs are 280x120mm as standard (other size options are available though). You can order print proofs on any of the fine art substrates that we offer and prices start at just £7.50. Print proofs give you the best opportunity to take a closer look at the colours, substrates and quality of our products before committing to a full sized print.

Giclée Printing

If you’re ready to go ahead and order your giclée prints, then head straight to our online order form. Here you will be taken step-by-step through the options available to you. Firstly, you will need to select your print size. You can order generic paper sizes or alternatively bespoke print sizes. Prices here start at £9.00 for an A5 print.

Secondly, you can add a plain border to your print. If you’ve added a border to your print file already, please make sure to select the relevant option. Alternatively, you can ask us to add one on for you and let us know what size you would like this.

Then comes the exciting bit! Select from our wide range of substrates available. Take your pick from our gloss, matt or textured fine art papers. We have 15 papers to select from plus two canvas substrates.

Following on from your substrate selection you can add on the option of having a certificate of authenticity. These are a great addition, particularly if your print is part of a limited edition. Once you’ve completed all these stages you will receive a bespoke price according to your selections. Please note, we also offer discounts on multiple orders starting at six prints. If you have a print run of over 100, please do contact us for further information and pricing.

There you go! Ordering your giclée prints is as simple as that! Once you’ve added your products to basket, follow our simple instructions to upload your files, then sit back and relax! Your order will be on the way to you shortly. We will be in touch if there are any issues or questions, additional, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions too!

Did you know that we are the only fine art printing company in the UK which has been accredited by Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle Fine Art, Epson Digigraphie, ILFORD and a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild? Also, why not sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with news, products and future competitions at The Artists Print Room – just complete the form below.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram too!

How to select a fine art printing service…

When taking that first leap into the world of producing your work as either artwork reproduction prints or fine art photography prints, it can be daunting. It’s also difficult to decide on who to trust with this specialist work. Here are our top tips in selecting a fine art printing service and some of the important factors you should consider.

Experience

Possibly the most important factor when selecting a fine art printing service. Ensure you are selecting a business with a good number of years behind them. This vast amount of experience speaks volumes in itself. A fine art printing company that has been around for several years, is more than likely to know their stuff, this includes overcoming hurdles such as technical issues. They are also more likely to understand your requirements and be able to advise honestly and truthfully when you need some assistance. If in doubt, it is always worth asking to see some examples of work they have previously printed for other artists and photographers.

Accreditations

There are many accreditations within the industry, in particular ones from paper manufacturers themselves. These large, global firms are not going to recommend fine art printing services of sub-quality. Therefore, shop around, ask the fine art printing companies which accreditations they have. These accreditations proves that they are up to standard and have close working relationships with some of the biggest manufacturers in the industry. Did you know that we are the only UK based fine art printer to be certified by Epson Digigraphie, Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle FineArt and ILFORD Imaging? We are also members of the Fine Art Trade Guild. Having these certifications really allows us to keep up with trends and news from these companies. Additionally, it also proves that we have been rigorously tested and checked in our print standards.

Options

It’s good to use a fine art printing service which provides you with different options. Although, not too many options! You want to use a business that can give you a range of different fine art papers so you have a few choices for which works best for your artwork reproductions or photography. A select number of industry leading papers should be offered alongside a few alternatives; giving you the artist, some variation. Having a select range of substrates ensures the printer knows how to handle each of the papers and understands the colour workflow processes to ensure you have the most perfect print. However, some fine art printing services decide to offer all the fine art papers known to man! This can be troublesome in that it can be confusing with so many options available. Furthermore, it could be likely that some of these lesser used or liked fine art papers could be sitting on a shelf exposed to the elements for a long time which is not ideal!

Convenience

An easy to use and simplistic ordering process is always a good start for time pressed artists and photographers. Being able to upload your images and know they are being cared for can create a great peace of mind for you. As an artist or photographer is important to free up your time so you can focus on creating your artwork. Therefore, always find a fine art printing service that you trust to take this hassle away from you. Also, it’s worth considering if your fine art printing service are easy to get hold of? If you have a pressing question, will they come back to you in a reasonable time period with answers, advice and suggestions? The art and photography industry can be incredibly subjective so it’s always great to have someone to validate your processes and work with. An excellent fine art printing service will do this for you and assist every step of the way.

It’s also worth remembering, cheap is not always best. You are looking for a fine art printing service rather than a photocopy shop! With a slightly higher price, you’re much more likely to receive a more personal service with great communication and advice in addition to the best fine art printing materials available.

Please feel free to contact us for a quick introductory chat, we would love to find out more about you and how we can help you as an artist or photographer. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service so you can also contact us on 07809 381 978 either over the phone or by WhatsApp. You can also get in touch through Facebook Messenger at anytime.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram too!

ILFORD Certified Print Partner

Last week, we received the brilliant news that we had been awarded the ILFORD Certified Print Partner status making us one of only two in the UK! This means we have met their high requirements in colour management, processing, quality control and customer service!

We are proud of our latest achievement and this ILFORD Certified Print Partner status compliments our other industry accreditations including; Hahnemühle Certified Studio, Canson Certified Print Laboratory and Epson Digigraphie Certified Laboratory.

ILFORD

ILFORD was founded in 1879 and since then has been a name people associate with photography. The company has evolved over the years, however, their drive and passion to provide customers with world class products is still as strong as it was over 140 years ago.

ILFORD Certified Print Partner

ILFORD is renowned for its premium quality and its inkjet photo products are selected by professional photographers wanting to achieve the look and feel of professional quality prints. The programme was introduced for photographers that do not have the time to print their own work but are looking for professional prints, produced to the highest quality. The programme includes print partners across Europe that all share the same values of quality that are synonymous with the ILFORD brand and their selection of products. Each of the accredited ILFORD Certified Print Partners have been through a stringent and complex evaluation process to ensure we all meet the required standards set by the ILFORD Technical Team.

Therefore, with this great news, comes further great news! We will soon be be expanding our paper options by offering some of the wonderful ILFORD fine art papers for your prints. We will keep you updated with further information in due course.

Why not sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with news, products and future competitions at The Artists Print Room – just complete the form below.

Paper in focus – Textured Fine Art Papers

With so many paper options to choose from, it can always be a difficult decision of which to go for. Here we are going to look at and give you a run down of the textured fine art papers we offer.

Textured Fine Art Papers

When paper is produced in the paper mill, textured fine art papers are created with a much more coarse felt, this then produces the texture on the finished product. The surface of these papers can then highlight any texture within your image, whether that be photography or an art reproduction. These papers tend to more closely represent traditional watercolour papers with a pleasant feel adding more tactile qualities to your work.

Hahnemühle Museum Etching

Museum Etching - The Artists Print Room — ©Hahnemühle Museum Etching

This paper is mould-made and 100% cotton with a natural white colour. The etching paper features a distinct textured surface which gives a special touch, feeling like a genuine artists paper. A heavy 350gsm fine art paper which meets the highest industry standards and producing excellent colour sharpness. Due to it’s very beautiful texture, it is similar to traditional etching papers and is a great option when reproducing these prints.

Hahnemühle William Turner

The William Turner paper from Hahnemühle is heavily textured albeit a much finer texture when compared to the Museum Etching paper. A 310gm mould-made paper, again similar to the Museum Etching as it is 100% cotton. The William Turner has a natural white colour and is ideal for reproductions of traditional artworks and expressive photography reproductions. The paper also offers a water resistant coating.

Canson Infinity Arches Aquarelle Rag

This 310gsm textured paper from Canson contains no optical brighteners. Again a mould-made paper which is 100% cotton and a natural white colour. A traditional watercolour paper with a unique surface texture and an inkjet coating. Canson Infinity Aquarelle Rag gives a unique and unrivalled character to the fine art reproduction of traditional artwork and photographs.

St Cuthberts Mill Somerset Velvet Enhanced White

somerset-velvet-surface - The Artists Print Room — ©Somerset Velvet Enhanced

Once again, a 100% cotton paper, however, this time from the St Cuthberts paper mill. A 330gsm paper with a velvet, textured surface. The texture of this paper will lift images, giving them a beautifully elegant fine art feel and ideal for both artists and photographers alike.

If you would like further guidance on any of the papers we offer, you can book a free introductory meeting. We will be able to provide samples of each of our papers for you to take a closer look at. We will even supply the tea and coffee!

ArtSure from The Fine Art Trade Guild

A few weeks ago we shared with you the exciting news that we are now a Canson Infinity Certified Print Laboratory in addition to a Hahnemühle FineArt Certified Studio and an Epson Digigraphie Studio. However, in addition to these outstanding accreditations we are also a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild ArtSure scheme, but what does this mean?

ArtSure from Fine Art Trade Guild

Overall the ArtSure scheme differs from the print studio schemes mentioned above, however, it does work with great synergy alongside these.

The ArtSure scheme is designed to give you piece of mind even before the printing has even begun with quality papers and inks. Sadly, poor quality prints are easily produced, to the untrained eye these can be difficult to distinguish between when compared to genuine fine art prints. Therefore, the scheme approves papers and inks to add an additional level of assurance and to ensure only the highest quality products are producing the highest quality prints both for photography and art reproductions. Papers from different paper mills are tested externally for archivability. For example, pH levels of papers that are approved by the scheme are required to be between 7 and 9 for optimum longevity, additionally the paper has to be a minimum of 250gsm. For inks to be approved as part of the ArtSure scheme, they are required to score at least a six on the Blue Wool scale or an equivalent certification. Additionally, there is also a list of approved printers, of which The Artist’s Print Room Epson Sure Color SC-P9000 is listed. You can find a full list of ArtSure approved materials and equipment here. Only prints produced according to the standards set by ArtSure and The Fine Art Trade Guild can use the ArtSure logo, whether this be on the corresponding certificate of authenticity or within the border of the print itself.

The Artist’s Print Room can offer assurance, security and provenance during each and every stage. The Artist’s Print Room is the only studio in the UK to have all these outstanding achievements of both certified laboratories and ArtSure membership.

Epson Digigraphie® Certified Laboratory

Did you know that we are one of only five Epson Digigraphie® Certified Laboratories here in the UK and additionally the only one in the West Midlands!

The Epson Digigraphie® accreditation was officially set up in November 2003 and since then a network of printing laboratories, dealers and artists have been established, of which we are proud to be a part of.

But what does this mean for you?

By being one of the Epson Digigraphie® Certified Laboratories, you are guaranteed the best quality prints. Furthermore, our printing equipment complies with the technical terms set by Digigraphie® and we have been certified to print with the Digigraphie® label. This all ensures added value to your final fine art prints. As part of our certification we have to undertake rigorous monthly quality control checks ensuring our work is always completed to an exceptionally high standard.

What is involved in Epson Digigraphie® Certified Laboratories?

We have to comply to stringent technical commitments, which include;

Using an Epson Surecolor SC-P9000 or Epson Stylus Pro Professional printer;
Epson Ultra Chrome or Ultra Chrome HD or Ultra Chrome K3 inks,
Certified paper; and
Each print is required to be authenticated, numbered and signed.

Epson Digigraphie® Certified Laboratories - The Artists Print Room — Digigraphie® Embossing – The Artists Print Room

The following papers that we offer are Digigraphie® accredited:

Hahnemühle Museum Etching, Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White, Hahnemühle William Turner, Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta, Hahnemühle Photo Rag Satin and Canson Aquarelle Rag 310.

Prints will be finished with an Epson Digigraphie® embossing.

Additionally as an artist, you can register with Epson Digigraphie® and benefit from more visibility through an online gallery. Find out more about the scheme through the Epson Digigraphie® website. Alternatively, please feel free to contact us to discuss your specific requirements.